Sindhu's Blog

Sindhu is founder of DeviDoll.com - a haven of fashion and luxury living with an ethical twist. She's determined to show others how much giving back matters and how possible it is to do.

Most of Sindhu's free time is spent travelling with her family. Her favourite online stores are RalphLaurenHome.com, Riverford.co.uk, TheWhiteFlowerCompany.com, RousIland.com and RachelRiley.com.

Let's Do It All Over Again...

Published on Friday 7th March 2008

Vintage and recycled are two much used terms in ethical fashion. And for good reason – waste not, want not and all that. But for some people (indeed in some cultures as a whole) wearing what others before you (especially strangers) have worn is, well, weird.

And recycled... what really tends to fall under that rubric in fashion? Dresses made of used ties? Shorts from what were once jeans? Sometimes. But does that tempt you? Hmmm... sometimes... some people... maybe. But what if it doesn’t?

Well, there’s always ‘virgin recycled material’. It has a quixotic ring to it, no? Perhaps, and quixotic may well be how some describe From Somewhere, the edgy fashion label whose founders, Orsola de Castro and Filippo Ricci, are to be credited with coining this term.

From Somewhere uses pre-consumer (hence virgin) textile surplus such as production off-cuts and end of rolls to make beautiful clothes. This re-use (or recycling) of fabric already in the ‘system’ redresses the balance between consumption and disposal.

Plus From Somewhere always has a finger on the latest trends in fashion without being slave to them. Conclusion: they’re very smart about our looking smart.

Carol Young’s Undesigned (pictured) is another label that works magic with surplus fabric (among other things... she’s big on organic and alternative fabric too but that’s a story for another day).

The designer aims to create clothes that will last a long time but never lose their ‘oomph’, refreshingly seasonless pieces (though right now in London’s ‘sunny-to-snowy-in-24hours’ weather seasonless feels anything but refreshing!) that are always striking. From fleecy cottons to light chiffons, Carol knows what women want.

So before you turn your back on flecking your wardrobe with ethically aware pieces, think again... think twice... yup, recycle the thought.

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